diff --git a/src/API.ml b/src/API.ml
index 0d84151e5..eb9563fff 100644
--- a/src/API.ml
+++ b/src/API.ml
@@ -910,7 +910,7 @@ end
 
 module State = struct
   include ED.State
-  let empty_descriptor = ED.State.new_descriptor
+  let new_state_descriptor = ED.State.new_descriptor
   
   (* From now on, we pretend there is no difference between terms at
      compilation time and terms at execution time (in the API) *)
diff --git a/src/API.mli b/src/API.mli
index a9c8688a8..c9eef31ab 100644
--- a/src/API.mli
+++ b/src/API.mli
@@ -740,7 +740,7 @@ end
    need to use. *)
 module State : sig
 
-  val empty_descriptor : unit -> Setup.state_descriptor
+  val new_state_descriptor : unit -> Setup.state_descriptor
 
   (** 'a MUST be purely functional, i.e. backtracking is implemented by using
    * an old binding for 'a.